Prescription Drug Prescription Drug PollutionPollution

By Jolene PhippsAnd

Mara Hernandez

Outline

• Summary• How can pharmaceutical drugs pollute the

environment?• Where do we find pharmaceutical pollution? • What types of pollutants are there? • How can we treat polluted water?• How much are we really using?• Solutions• References

           

Summary

• Our position : find a way that people who need medication can take it but also be able to protect the earth. Researchers have not yet found a backdoor.

• Europe and Canada are the only countries that have done research on this subject.

• “Being able to track down the drugs Is important because many prescription medicines consumed by us are not rendered biologically harmless when they pass through the body.” -John Hopkins, Researcher

How can pharmaceutical drugs pollute the

environment?

• Americans intake prescription drugs for diagnosis, treatments, prevention of diseases and/or health conditions.

• When we take prescription drugs they go through our digestive system. After its gone through our digestive system, it makes its way back into the environment where it can contaminate drinking water and pose a threat to aquatic wildlife.

Where do we find Pharmaceutical

Pollution?

• In natural waterways, sewage treatment effluents and even in drinking water.

• Pretty much where water is, there is pharmaceutical pollution.

What types of pollutants are there?

• In our water are; estrogen, serotonin, salmonella, and much more.

• Water experts say that the two dozen antibiotics found along the triclosan, the active ingredient is antimicrobial soaps, that could lead to sturdier bacterial strains.

How can we treat polluted water?

• Chlorine Generator • Aeromix

– improves the water quality– controls algae– helps foster aquatic life– prevents fish kill– reduces bottom muck &– beautifies water bodies.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

How Much Are We Really Using?

• 2005 report done on medicine money spent in 2004 the members invested an estimated $38.8 billion.

• Between 1988-94 and 1999-2000, NHANES data shows that the percent Americans of all ages who reported using medicine in the past month increased from 39 to 44. In the same time, the percent of people using 3 or more drugs increased from 12 to 17.

Solutions

• One solution found is called the “Take Back” program that allows communities to collect these unwanted chemicals, and reuse them when possible or dispose them in waste-to-energy facilities or medical waste incinerators

References

• http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/2002031022402data_trunc_sys.shtml June-02-2006 at 12:15

• http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-04/jhu_pdp04402.php June-06-2006 at 2:57

• http://dioxin2004.abstract-management.de/pdf/p581.pdf June-06-2006 at 3:15

• Author: Jerry Avorn Title: Powerful Medicines the benefits,risks,ands cost of prescription drugs Date:8-17-2004

• Author: Sediak, David; Pinkston, Karen; Hung, Ching-Hua Title: Occurrence Survey of Pharmaceutically Active Compounds

• http://www.great-lakes.net/lists/p2tech/2002-03/msg00049.htmlJune 8, 2006

http://www.lenntech.com/pharmaceutical_%20remains_%20in_%20waste_%20water.htm June 9.2006

The End…

Any Questions?